Sketches and Advice
by FangZeronos
Summary: Gaige keeps having nightmares and Maya offers some Siren wisdom.
1. Sanctuary

Gaige sighed as she sat outside of the Crimson Raiders' building, her back to the Guns vending machine, her sketchpad in her lap. She slid the pencil over the page, drawing out contours of a featureless face, but in the back of her mind she knew who she was drawing. A few minutes passed in silence, the sounds of her pencil and Claptrap's loud rambling from around the corner the most that she heard. She pushed the pencil behind her ear, sighing as she did. She looked at the sketch, lowering her eyes.

"Angel, I'm so sorry," Gaige whispered. It'd been just a bit over a year since the fight with Jack, and no matter what the now nineteen year old Mechromancer did, she couldn't get Angel's face out of her mind. Her nightmares were starting to get worse, and she knew she'd been keeping Maya awake, even though the Siren wouldn't admit it. She closed the sketchbook and walked back inside, heading upstairs where she heard Maya and Lillith talking. She stood beside the wall, keeping herself hidden from the two Sirens eyes.

"What are you talking about, Maya?" Lillith asked, and Gaige knew from her tone that the Firehawk had folded her arms.

"She keeps waking up in the middle of the night. Some nights screaming, some crying. I don't know what to do to make it seem like I'm concerned instead of making Gaige feel like I'm being intrusive," Maya admitted, letting her arms drop to the table in front of her, her blue hair covering her eyes.

"You got to give her time. You're her roommate and friend, Maya," Lillith said. "The last year...it's been hard on most of us. Roland, Bloodwing, Angel...everyone's lost someone because of Jack."

"Yeah, but Jack's dead. We shouldn't still be feeling what that facist bastard did!" Maya snapped, her hands clenched into fists. "I just...wish I could help Gaige. Twenty-seven years in that stupid abbey and a year and a half on Pandora, and I still can't help my friends when they need me."

Lillith reached over and put her hand on Maya's shoulder. "Just talk to her. You two take a trip, go to Wam Bam Island, Oasis, Lynchwood, the Highlands, Overlook. Somewhere to have some time to talk. That's really all I can say to do, Maya. I don't have the answers you want."

Maya nodded, sighing softly. "I know. I didn't think you would, but it was nice to ask someone anyway," she said. "I'll try and talk to her."

Gaige bit her lip hard enough to taste blood, and she slowly walked back to the stairs before she came back up, acting like nothing had happened before she walked into the main center for the Raiders. "Hey, guys," she said with a small smile, sitting down on the couch beside the safe.

Maya looked over and smiled softly. "Hi, Gaige," she said.

"Hey, killer," Lillith said, smiling. "Remember what I said, Maya. I'm going to find Brick and kick his ass if he's getting into trouble. Oh, God. Him and Krieg at the same time causing Hell. God help me." She walked out, leaving the younger Siren and Gaige together.

"Well, that was weird," Gaige muttered. "Even by Lillith standards." She set her sketchbook to the side, rubbing her arms.

"You ok?" Maya asked, sitting on the other end of the couch and turning to look at Gaige.

"Fine. Why?" Gaige asked, picking a thread on her worn out skirt.

"Because you haven't been sleeping. You wake up screaming or crying. I...I didn't want to say anything in case you wanted to bring it to someone on your own," Maya admitted. "Gaige, I'm worried about you. What's wrong?"

Gaige down. "I keep dreaming about Angel. Ever since we found out she was what was powering that damned Vault Key and we killed her. I...every night, I keep seeing her face, hearing her screams as Roland and Lillith took out the Eridium injectors, hearing her call Jack an asshole. Then all I hear is his rage and yelling at us that we're child killers and we're as bad as the rest of Pandora. And I go back to the Vault of the Warrior and hear Jack taunting me, but Deathtrap won't spawn and he orders the Warrior to kill me, and none of you are there. All I feel is that giant monster's jaws on my waist and my voice screaming...that's about when I wake up screaming or crying. And I don't mean to, I swear! I just...I still can't get over it. I'm the youngest one of us and..."

"You're scared," Maya said, putting her hand on Gaige's arm. "Being scared is a part of growing up, Gaige. But being scared of the past doesn't help you in any way. Being scred of what's going to happen in the future, that's different because the future's unexplored and you don't know what lies ahead. But being scared of the past isn't a good thing because you linger on that and you can't look ahead."

Gaige nodded, sighing softly. "I'm sorry, Maya. i just need to get away, I guess. Ever since I left Eden-5 I've been scared. I just need a vacation."

Maya smiled, giving Gaige's arm a squeeze. "Tell you what. Why don't you pack some stuff up and we'll take a vacation. I need to get away from Sanctuary for a bit myself. Figure it might be good for us both," she said. "What do you say?"

"Just us? No Krieg, no Zer0, Salvador, Axton, Mordecai and Talon? Just you and me?" Gaige asked.

"We're the only girls here, and Lillith is running the City, and nobody wants to take Tannis anywhere. Yes, just you and me, Gaige," Maya said.

"Anywhere but Oasis, please. Shade creeps me out," Gaige laughed.

"Deal," Maya laughed, standing up. "Don't forget your sketchbook." She handed it to Gaige, smiling as she did. "By the way. You're really good at that. You don't need to hide your pictures of Angel. If it helps you cope, keep drawing."

"Thanks, Maya," Gaige said with a small smile. "I'll keep that in mind."


	2. Wam Bam Island

A few days after Gaige and Maya left Sanctuary, the two were laying on a pair of chairs and dressed for the beach on Wam Bam Island, soaking in he sun with their favorite guns beside them, Maya using a Maliwan Vexation in Shock while Gaige kept a Torgue Stalker and the Vladof Infinity Pistol near her. Gaige looked over the top of her sunglasses and grabbed the Infinity, holding the trigger and shooting a Crabworm that had creeped up onto the deck beside them, shaking the remains of the shell off of her arm.

"This is nice," the Mechromancer said, smiling as she laid back against the chair once more, looking out at the ocean. "No screaming, no jump and run for Scooter if he needs something, no listening to Tannis and Lillith fighting about something really stupid."

"It's peaceful," Maya said with a small smile, closing her book and setting it aside. "We can just breathe and be people instead of a walking apocolypse like Nakiyama called us."

"Worst boss fight ever," Gaige laughed. "Remember? He just tripped down the stairs and Hammerlock just goes "Well done!" Like we killed him or something. One punch to his face would have done it."

"Or a hammer in your case," Maya smirked, looking over at Gaige. "So, I have to ask. What did you do before we found you in the train laughing at Axton's stupid jokes?"

Gaige sighed and sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees as she rested her head against her wrists. "I was a student on Eden-5," she said. "High school, a month out from graduating. We were doing our science fair, and my designs for DT had been stolen by this uberbitch Marcy Holloway. She sold it to the planets most corrupt cops, and tried to tell the judges at the fair that I'd stolen from her!" She frowned and clenched her hands, remembering everything about that day.

"DT's the reason I've got the metal arm. I was working on cutting out some metal for the summoning rods, and my hand slipped and cut my arm. Halfway to the bone, blood everywhere in my workshop. I could have just hyposprayed it and been on my merry way. But then my brain exploded! I'd been having trouble summoning DT at all. So I thought about making it a portable summoning device. I lopped off the rest of my arm and with one hand and bleeding like hell, I made this." She held up her metal arm and wiggled the fingers. "The control rod for DT's in here, and he augments himself with whatever skills I use from my Tree in the ECHO." She rubbed her arm and shook her head. "The reason I'm on Pandora is because I'm wanted in the Eden System. At the fair, I tried to tell the judges the truth about how Marcy had stolen the plans for the DT unit from me, and the bitch pushed me. Well, DT thought she was hurting me, so he...kind of maybe atomized her. LIke BLOOSH atomizing. THere were entrails hanging from the cieling. So I ran. Dad caused a distraction with a golf cart and gasoline, but i never really figured that part out. I stowed away on a shuttle for Pandora and ended up in what was left of New Haven. That's when hte train came by and I hid." Gaige laid back and rubbed her eyes, turning on her side and looking at Maya, facing the Sirens blue tattoos. "What about you?"

"Remember the Firehawk worshippers we dealt with in Frostburn Canyon for Lillith?" Maya asked, looking down at Gaige. When the younger girl nodded, Maya faced her. "Nearly the same thing. I was dropped off at an abbey on Athenas when I was a baby. Twenty-seven years of being raised to be feared because I was a Siren. The Abbey had nothing on us, nothing on why there's a limited number of us at a time. THe head of the Abbey, Sophis, was a real jerk when nobody was looking. He did...things to me that no man of any faith should do to a person, let alone a girl."

"He didn't!" Gaige gasped, her eyes wide.

"He did," Maya said. "When he wanted me to kill a man because he took a loaf of bread or an apple, I don't remember which, I refused. Sophis tried to force me to do it, so I phaselocked his ass and told him I was done. He would have kept talking if I hadn't pulled the trigger and blown the back of his head off. I left Athenas and headed here, waiting outside of the Lynchwood train station. That's where I met Kreig. Did I tell you about that?"

Gaige shook her head. "Nope. You haven't told anyone."

Maya smiled softly. She explained about the Rats and Kreig throwing his Buzzaxe, bisecting the Rat's head that was sneaking up behind her with a scream of "TURN AROUND PRETTY LADY!" As she finished talking, she turned to her side and looked at the Mechromancer. "So, it's been a fun ride on Pandora since day one."

"It really has," Gaige said. "Angel, the BNK-3R, Warrior, Captain Scarlett and Roscoe-which I didn't even know a Rakk Hive looked like a giant vag in the front and it's an image I can't ever get out of my head now."

Maya laughed, shaking her head. "Yes, that took some getting used to. Luckily that was the only one we've seen. What about that giant metal T-Rex during the Badass Tournament?"

"Badassasuarus Rex! Ah! I wanted one so bad," Gaige pouted. "I want to turn DT into one but he won't let me. Though from what Brick said, their game of Bunkers and Badasses with Tina was a good one. THat day we beat the crap out of the Hyperion employee?"

"I remember that," Maya said. "ANd even then we didn't get to blow up Helios Station."

"Yeah, that sucked," Gaige said, laying her head back. She was silent for a few minutes, the only sounds being the waves and water crashing against itself. "Maya?"

"Yes?" Maya asked, looking over at Gaige.

"You ever wonder...if we'll get off Pandora?" Gaige asked. "I mean...I want to go home, but I don't want to get thrown in jail the minute I set foot on Eden-5. I want to see my parents again..."

Maya sat up and put her hand on Gaige's arm. "You will," she said. "It may not be right away, Gaige, but you'll see them again. As for getting off of Pandora...anything's possible. And besides, you were just off Pandora a few months ago, remember? Finding Aurelia?"

"Ugh, don't even bring up Frosty the She-Bitch," Gaige groaned. "That woman is so stuck up she makes Tannis look like Mordecai."

Maya blinked, looking at Gaige before she started laughing, the Siren's laughter filling the air before she snorted, making her laugh harder. "Oh, man. That's an image I didn't need!" Maya laughed, shaking her head and wiping her eyes.

"You're welcome," Gaige said, snickering before she picked up her Stalker and sat up, shooting another Crabworm. She swung her legs off of the chair and moved to the edge of the deck, letting her legs hang down and her toes touch the water.

Maya moved and sat beside Gaige, looking at the nineteen year old. "What's wrong?"

"Thinking," Gaige said with a small smile. "If anyone of us dies, we get respawned with a New-U right?"

"Yeah," Maya said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"

"Hacking a New-U when we get back to Sanctuary and finding Angel's DNA. If we're all in the New-U System, there's no reason to think she wouldn't be."

"Ok, but if we respawn Angel, Lillith will want Roland respawned. Do you really want to put her through that?" Maya asked, looking out over the water. "It's a good thought, Gaige, but think about the orders you'd have from other people who've lost people thanks to Jack and Hyperion."

"I know...I was just hoping, that's all. She didn't deserve what he did to her," Gaige said. "And I know that bringing her back might just be a bust, or she might be so dependant on Eridium like she was when she was in the Control Core I wouldn't be able to help her...damn it."

Maya wrapped her arm around Gaige's shoulder, the younger Vault Hunter curling up against her. "It's ok, Gaige," she whispered. "Just remember her how she was, don't try and bring her back. THat only causes more heartache."

Gaige nodded, sniffling and laying her head against Maya's shoulder, wiping her eyes. "I know," she sighed. "Damn it, this was supposed to be a fun vacation. Now it's all weepy and crap."

"It's alright," Maya said with a smile. "I'm still having fun."

"Without anything blowing up, it is nice," Gaige said. "No Kreig yelling about salads made out of nipples, no random haikus by Zer0, Salvador screaming about meat popcicles or Axton trying to bang his turrets. It's especially nice to not have to hear Brick calling us Slabs all the time. Do I look like a hunk of meat to you?"

"Nah. Too skinny," Maya smirked, pinching Gaige's side and making her laugh and jump.

"Oh, like you're one to talk," Gaige laughed, pinching Maya's side. "You're as skinny as I am, woman!"

"True," Maya laughed, shaking her head. "COme on. Let's head to the other side of the Island. I've got some spare Eridium, and we've got our guns. Let's go see what Crawmerax is up to. Maybe we can find a rare grenade this time."

"I want a freaking Pearlescent," Gaige said with a grin. "Let's go! We'll put our shorts on and head that way!"

"Sounds like a plan," Maya said with a smile, standing up and grabbing their bag from inside the hut, tossing Gaige her shorts and tugging her own on at the same time. "Last one there pays for lunch?"

"You're on!" Gaige smirked, scooping up her guns and taking off beside Maya, both women laughing as they ran through the water, heading for the service tunnel.


	3. Nightmares, Drinks, and Grenades

Despite how happy Gaige was after the trip to Wam Bam Island, she still couldn't help the nightmares. With Maya being sent by Lillith back to her home planet Athenas to find an old Eridian Artifact with Brick, the Mechromancer wasn't able to keep the nightmares away.

 _Gaige tripped as she ran down the stairs near the BNK3R, falling and toppling down, landing on her back under an EXP Loader. She grabbed her Torgue Stalker off of the ground from where she'd dropped it, twisting around and firing as it started putting off it's energy, causing it to blow up and barely damage her shield. She got to her feet and picked up the money and Eridium the Loader dropped, pushing it in her pockets hastily as she remembered she was running for her life._

 _"You can't get away from me, kid!" Jack's voice yelled, Gaige hearing him coming down the stairs behind her. Dropping down, Jack turned his wrist-mounted guns towards Gaige, grinning as he did. "This is for killing my baby girl, you goddamned bandit." He fired both barrels at once, Gaige's Sham shield absorbing both shots and depleting. "No shield now. Have fun dyin'."_

 _"One thing, Jackass," Gaige said, fire in her eyes._

 _"What?"_

 _"Domo arigato, sucka!" she yelled, waving her mechanical arm and summoning Deathtrap, taking off and running as her robot distracted Jack. "Good boy, DT!" She found the exit door at the base of the bunker, trying to get it to open. "No no no! Don't do this! Open up dammit!"_

 _The sound of DT being defeated hit Gaige's ears, and she slammed her fist into the door. Jack walked down and grabbed Gaige's throat, slamming her into the door. "Now...will you fucking die?" he asked, blasting her once in the chest with his gun, her scream filling the air._

Screaming as she sat up, Gaige looked around, taking a deep breath and putting her hand on her chest. "Goddamn it!" she panted, wiping her face and standing up, pushing her feet in her shoes before she walked out of the makeshift bedroom, heading downstairs and walking out of the Crimson Raiders headquarters.

"Claptrap beatbox time!" the annoying robot yelled, Gaige rolling her eyes as she skirted around him, heading for the neon lit signs of Moxxi's bar. She checked her wallet, thankful she'd been saving money, having nearly $900,000 on her.

Walking into the bar, she made an immediate left and hit the twin slot machines, one giving her Eridium and the other giving out a white-rarity sniper rifle. "Eh, I'll give this one to Zer0. He might find a good use for it," she muttered, setting the gun beside the bar and sitting down at a stool.

"You ok, sugar?" Moxxi asked as she walked over, concern in her eyes. "Usually you're all over Hammerlock trying to convince him to turn the fenceline for a night. You look like you've had a rough night." As usual, the woman was right on the nose.

"Yeah, you could say that," Gaige said. "Been having nightmares for the last few weeks, and without Maya around to talk to, they've been getting worse and worse, and I don't know what to do about them. This planet's starting to bum me out."

"Pandora'll do that, Gaige," Moxxi said, reaching under the counter and grabbing a glass, opening a cabinet behind her. "Here. Try this." She grabbed a bottle off of the shelf, pouring some white liquid into it, grabbing a second bottle from under the bar and pouring in an ounce of amber liquid.

"What is it?" Gaige asked, watching Moxxi stir the glass around before she set it beside Gaige's arm.

"Rakk Ale and Spiderant milk. The ale to make you forget the nightmare, and the milk to make you sleep," Moxxi said. "I used to do this for Scooter and Elle when they were kids. Raisin' two kids in the Hodunks isn't the best place for happy dreaming, so I had to get creative. I know that it sounds gross, but trust me, Gaige. The sweetness of the milk counterbalances the ale's harshness."

Gaige nodded, grabbing the glass and bringing it to her lips, taking a drink. "Oh, that is good," she said. She finished off the drink, putting $1200 in the tip jar, smiling a bit. "Thanks, Moxxi."

"Anytime, sugar," Moxxi said with a smile. "Now, go back to the Raiders HQ and try to sleep. The ale'll kick in soon."

Gaige smiled softly and nodded, grabbing the sniper rifle and heading back for the Raiders HQ. She set the gun on the table inside the door on the lower floor, grabbing a slip of paper and jotting down, _"Zer0. I don't need this one. Thought you'd like it. Gaige"_ before setting it on the gun, walking upstairs and yawning, her head barely hitting her pillow as she fell asleep, her last thought being that she needed to really thank Moxxi for the drink next time she was in the bar.

Maya, having gotten back to Sanctuary a few hours after Gaige had gone back to sleep, walked into the Raiders HQ and up to the bedroom, hearing Kreig and Salvador snoring and Axton's mutterings to his turret. She sat on her bed and looked over at the younger girl, smiling softly. "You're finally sleeping," she whispered, laying down herself and closing her eyes, making a mental note to show Gaige the grenade mod she'd found on Athenas.

The next morning, Gaige yawned as she woke up, sitting up and stretching as she rubbed her eyes. Not hearing the usual sounds of Kreig and Salvador, she looked around and saw Maya was sleeping on the bed next to hers and she smiled. She got up and snuck downstairs, seeing a note from Zer0 and a stack of Eridium. _"To Gaige from Zer0. Thank you for the rifle. I did not have this one in my collection. Please take this as thanks."_ "Cool. More Eridium. Maybe I should fight Crawmerax again," she said, rubbing her eyes as she saw Tannis bustling around like usual.

"Good morning, Gaige," Tannis said, oddly polite to the young girl for a change. "Are you well this morning?" 

"A little sore, but I'll be alright," Gaige said with a raised eyebrow. "You ok? You're being nice to me."

"I heard your screaming last night. I have been to speak with Lillith, and she informed me of your situation with nightmares. I have been trying to find a way to help you control them," Tannis said.

Gaige blinked. "Umm...thanks, I suppose," she said. "You don't have to do that, Tannis. I'm hoping they'll go away on their own." She didn't know why Tannis was being nice to her, after having shown such distaste in her for the last few months.

"Well, if they don't stop, I'm sure we can find something for you to take or have that can stop them," Tannis said, turning her back to Gaige and walking towards her corner of the room, leaing Gaige standing in confusion.

The young Vault Hunter shook her head and walked out of the Crimson Raiders HQ, heading for the Fast Travel near the Black Market. She opened the menu and tapped her lip. "Where haven't I been?" she muttered, scrolling through the list. "I could go to the Fridge...still need to finish the Circle of Slaughter and get the Hail..."

"Well, don't ditch me," Maya's voice said, making Gaige jump and turn around.

"Holy skagsuck, woman! DOn't do that!" Gaige exclaimed, putting her hand on her chest and feeling her heart thundering. "Scared the life outta me!"

Maya laughed and smiled. "Sorry, Gaige," she said, putting her hand on Gaige's arm. "Now. Where do you want to go?"

"HOnestly, I don't know," Gaige said, looking at the menu for the Fast Travel again. "Somewhere we havent' been in a while."

"Well, we could always go and fight the Snowman, head back to Hero's Pass and see if the Warrior respawned and fight him for some rare loot, maybe a Pitchfork or Conference Call."

"I want to try and take down those Threshers near the Rotgut Distillery," Gaige said. "The five that you have to get the trophies for to open the chest?"

"I know which ones," Maya said with a smile. "Before we go, I have something for you. A little gift from Athenas." She took out the Nasty Surprise Grenade mod, handing it to Gaige.

"Ah! I thought only Vermivouris could drop this?" Gaige asked, pulling her menu up and equipping the new Grenade.

"I found it in a chest when I was on my mission," Maya said with a smile. "Come on. Let's go to the Distillery and take on those Threshers, and I'll tell you what Lillith had me doing."

Gaige smiled and nodded, punching the Rotgut Distillery and teleporting away, landing a minute later near the Dr. Zed machine, stepping out of the way and waiting for Maya. She looked over as her friend came out a minute later, smiling. "Oh, I've got something for you, too. Found it when Sal and I went and fought the BNK3R a few days ago," she said, taking out a Slag Bitch SMG, handing it to Maya. "Figure with your abilities with elements, it might come in handy."

"Oh, it's going to," Maya said with a smirk. "So. LEt's kill these badasses and see what we can score."

"You're on," Gaige smirked, pulling up her Stalker, an E-Tech fire pistol, a shock Sandhawk, and a Corrosive Scorpio rifle, making sure her shield and grenade were equipped. "Let's go."

"First to three?"

"Loser buys dinner at Moxxi's," Gaige said with a smile.

"I don't plan on losing," Maya said, taking off running, Gaige laughing and following behind her.


End file.
